Tokyo: Meiji Shrine — Guide Bruce
April, 2026
This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- On the day, at 6:52, we received an email from the guest requesting to change the start time to 8:30, so we changed the start time to 8:30 (we are sharing the Gmail correspondence with JGA)
- 8:30 Meet at JR Shinagawa Station, right outside the Central Gate, at the Triangle Clock
- 8:40 Assistance with purchasing a one-day pass at the JR Shinagawa Station ticket machine
- 9:20 Commemorative photo in front of the Hachiko statue in Shibuya, Shibuya Scramble Crossing
- 10:00 Meiji Shrine
- 10:25 Write wishes on ema at Meiji Shrine and take commemorative photos
- 10:50 Takeshita Street, bond with Samoyed dogs at Samoyed Cafe moffu Takeshita Street branch
- 11:40 Purchase crepes at Marion Crepe CUTE CUBE Harajuku branch on Takeshita Street
- 12:40 Asakusa Nakamise Street, Sensoji Temple
- 14:15 Lunch at "Tsukiji Sushiseishinkan"
- 15:15 Disperse at Tsukiji Outer Market
Title: What's a Private Family-Friendly Day Tour of Tokyo Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests visited Japan a few days earlier from North America, exploring Osaka and Kyoto before arriving in Tokyo the previous day. Today was their first tour in Tokyo. The Yamanote Line train from Shinagawa Station was extremely crowded during rush hour, and I was a little concerned, but the comment "It's a lot of fun" put me at ease. When one of the guests said, "Now I understand why so many people wear masks," everyone burst into laughter. At Meiji Shrine, the group wrote a wish on an ema plaque saying they wanted to keep a dog. Afterwards, they happily interacted with dogs at a dog cafe on Takeshita Street. At the sushi restaurant, the guests used the training chopsticks they had purchased in Kyoto to enjoy sushi, grilled salmon, and skewered tuna, all of which they savored with delight.
This private tour was arranged through [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/), one of Japan's largest networks of government-licensed, English-speaking private tour guides, serving all 47 prefectures. Winner of Tripadvisor Travelers' Choice Best of the Best. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Click here for more details: Tokyo Family-Friendly Customized Tour with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Shinagawa～Shibuya | 210JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Shibuya～Harajuku | 160JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Harajuku～Kanda (Tokyo) | 210JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | Kanda (Tokyo)～Asakusa | 180JPY |
| Section 5 | Train | Asakusa～Higashi-Ginza | 220JPY |
| Total | 980JPY | ||
Hello (Konnichiwa). My name is Masanori SUGANO. Most of my friends call me Bruce, so you can call me Bruce. It would be my pleasure to act as a guide for you as I have been a guide for over twenty years. I curate my tours to suit your quest for knowledge and make you laugh with Dad jokes as an ice breaker. I can add some of my experiences as seasoning since I’m a seasoned guide. I always gain a new perspective through my guests’ eyes, and that’s why I am passionate about my job.
You can create your own itinerary, and when we meet, you can let me know what things you want to see. I am very flexible and can go off the beaten track on your request.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I am looking forward to meeting you.
Thank you (Arigatou-gozaimasu).
Jul 2, 2026
jamespmccormick
Tripadvisor review: The Best Family-Friendly Tokyo Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Great Tokyo tour with Bruce!
We booked a 6 hour…
Jul 2, 2026
jamespmccormick
Tripadvisor review: The Best Family-Friendly Tokyo Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Great Tokyo tour with Bruce!
We booked a 6 hour Tokyo tour with Bruce Sugano and had a great experience! Bruce’s English is very good and he was flexible with us setting and changing the itinerary when we saw things we wanted to experience. We took the tour on our 2nd day in Japan and It was helpful to introduce us to the culture and help us gain an understanding of the city and some of its important sites. At the end of our tour, Bruce took us to one of his favorite sushi restaurants and introduced us to Japanese sushi! I would definitely recommend this tour!
Jun 12, 2026
716suzannab
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Amazing experience
Bruce was an amazing guide. He taught us some essential…
Jun 12, 2026
716suzannab
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Amazing experience
Bruce was an amazing guide. He taught us some essential Japanese that we have been using ever since. We visited a wide range of locations in Tokyo and our guide gave us lots of information and history. We would recommend this tour.
Suzanna and Nicholas
May 27, 2026
beaufordtjustice
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great tour of Tokyo with Bruce!
My son and I had a…
May 27, 2026
beaufordtjustice
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great tour of Tokyo with Bruce!
My son and I had a great tour of Tokyo with Bruce Sangano. We gave him several places we would like to visit and he turned those into our itinerary for the day. We learned a lot about Japanese culture, Shinto and Buddhism and many customs, etc. Near the end of our tour, he booked a great sushi restaurant that is more likely known to locals than tourist. It was wonderful. We would highly recommend Bruce for future tours of Tokyo!
May 24, 2026
A2151KImelissab
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Day out in Tokyo
I enjoyed a solo guided tour of Tokyo…
May 24, 2026
A2151KImelissab
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Day out in Tokyo
I enjoyed a solo guided tour of Tokyo with Bruce who met me at my hotel and spent some time collaborating to create a bespoke itinery for the day to match my interests and his local knowledge of the kind of places I would not have thought to go to on my first visit to Japan.
We visited the old neighbourhood of Yanaka and walked along Snake Road where I met a shiba dog out for his Sunday morning walk & saw the Nezu shrine and its extrordinary topiary azalea gardens . Then we set off by metro to exprerience the buzz of Harajuku Street shopping district and visit a ridiculously cute hedgehog cafe. I experienced the iconic Shibuya Crossing and learned the story behind the famous mural by artist Taro Okomoto in the station. After all this we arrived mid afternoon at the Tokyo fish markets in Tsukiju where we enjoyed a late lunch at a local sushi bar- the best sushi I have ever tried- a highlight being zuke (tuna infused with yuzu). Our final stop was the local shrine near the market to honour the fish and the seaweed before heading back to my hotel. Along the way we had many interesting conversations about history, politics and art. It was a terrifc day. Highly recommended.